The interrelationships between the structure, the function and the cellular environment of two molecules involved in biological transport processes will be investigated - cytochrome c(electron transferring properties) and valinomycin (ion transporting abilities). The systems will be examined by a variety of techniques, most importantly NMR of H1, C13, P31. The interactions of ferricytochrome c with chromous ion, (what is the nature of the site of electron introduction?) will be studied. In other experiments, the structure of cytochrome c complexes with phospholipids in aqueous and organic media will be examined. Attempts will be made to correlate the results of these experiments and to establish the environmental impositions on, and other conditions controlling, the structure and reactivity of this protein. The complexing of valinomycin with cations will be studied with respect to ion pairing of complexes (do these antibiotics act as metabolic anion transporters also?), structure of complexes and relationship of environment to structure and reactivity (how does the semi-ordered phospholipid environment of the membrane affect the structure of the molecule and its ability to complex and release cations?) These experiments will also be correlated in an attempt to formulate a complete picture of the ion transport process and the environmental and structural features governing it.